


Look Up, Get Up, Never Give Up

by Angel_in_the_sunshine



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Baseball, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27473224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_in_the_sunshine/pseuds/Angel_in_the_sunshine
Summary: Obi-Wan loves the game, but he loves his team, the Jedi, more. Since Dooku left the team in disgrace at the end of the last season, there has been an opening that has needed to be filled. Obi-Wan knows that the most important skill a new recruit can have is the love of baseball.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn & Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Some Jedi stances look like baseball stances

“Now Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon was saying, but Obi-Wan was distracted by the other team members rushing around and whispering.

“Obi-Wan…” Qui-Gon said for maybe the tenth time since Obi-Wan stopped listening.

“Yes Qui-Gon, I know, bend with the catch,” Obi-Wan answered while completely not answering the question that was not asked.

Mace was walking over. “Qui-Gon can I have a word please?” Qui-Gon nodded knowing that he had lost Obi-wan’s focus for a little while.

“What’s on your mind, my friend?” he asked.

“The new boy. He is… not what Mr. Palpatine said he was.”

“Mace you know very well that I have made it a habit to not listen to him,” Qui-Gon laughed. Mace chuckled and shook his head while leading his friend over to meet the new recruit.

* * *

Obi-Wan watched Qui-Gon walk away with Mace. Was anyone ever going to explain anything to him? Sure he was the newest to the team, but this is his third season! At some point, they would have to treat him like a real part of the team.

“Something on your mind, son?” Asked a voice behind him. He turned around to see Yoda, a short yet agile man who was so crazy old that no one remembered his first name anymore and only used his last name.

“I’m getting a little tired of being the new kid to be quite honest, Yoda.”

“Hmm, well, I suppose you have your solution already.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember how Dooku left at the end of the last season?” Obi-Wan nodded. “Well, we seem to have found a new recruit to fill his position.”

“Is that where Qui-Gon and Mace went? Can I meet him? When does he start? Yoda? Yoda where are you going? Yoda?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin's first day of practice goes not quite how he hoped.

“Again” Mace’s commanding voice rang out during the warm-up. Obi-Wan threw and watched Qui-Gon throw his. Kit caught the ball that Obi-Wan had thrown while the new kid dropped Qui-Gon’s ball again. Obi-Wan shook his head as he got ready to catch again. How could a recruit be so bad at catching and throwing? He must have some hidden talent to have gotten on the team. Obi-Wan caught the ball from Kit and the new kid’s ball fell short of Qui-Gon. Maybe he’s not too bad then. The last one went too far so he must just need to learn control.  
“Alright that’s enough,” Mace called out. The team members stretched and talked about how to improve. Kit reminded Obi-Wan to follow through with his throw and not stop short. Obi-Wan thanked him while trying to make it over to the new kid. Qui-Gon had immediately taken custody of the kid, and Obi-Wan had not had a chance to talk to his mentor or greet the new kid yet.  
Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan walking over and waved happily to him. “Come on over Obi-Wan! Meet your new brother!”  
Obi-Wan shook hands with the kid. The kid looked at him thoughtfully before responding with a small smile and introducing himself. They made small talk about the projected weather for the season until they were interrupted.  
“Everyone make your way to the line-up and brace yourself for The Force,” Yoda said as he walked between the other team members.  
“The Force?” The new kid asked looking confused. Obi-Wan replied, “That is what we call Mace’s pitching.”  
“Come on Anakin,” Qui-Gon laughed as they jogged in to home plate. “Your trials with the Jedi are just beginning.”  
Obi-Wan could have sworn that Anakin looked sad at that, but it was gone after just a moment. Perhaps he imagined it. Why would the new recruit be sad?

It wasn’t that he was sad. This was the happiest he had ever been. No, he wasn’t sad. Well, maybe he was, just a little bit. He thought about his mom again. No, no. He couldn’t think of her. Not now. Now he had to make sure he wouldn’t be kicked off the team.  
He was next. The other young guy, what did Qui-Gon call him? Obian? Obi-Wan? Yeah something like that. Well he just hit a single. The outfield girl with box braids was at the plate now. He was next. He wasn’t scared. No he was just a little nervous. No well maybe. Maybe just concerned? It didn’t matter what it was. All that mattered was he was feeling it, whatever it was.  
She had hit a double. Anakin’s turn. He grabbed a bat and stepped up to the plate. Shuffle feet. Bounce knees. Stretch arms. Breathe. Connect. Swing. Run.  
He was past second base headed to third before he realized that he could maybe make it home. There was not anyone on base because they were just practicing hitting, but Anakin still needed to feed the hunger in him groaning for victory. He had never tasted victory before, but he would sure like to. As he rounded third, he saw that Mace had the ball and was about to get him out from the corner of his eye. He ducked and slid as the ball narrowly missed him. He felt his foot hit home base and let out a laugh.  
He sat up and only then noticed the silence. Everyone was looking at him. Qui-Gon was nodding his head in approval but Mace was shaking his head.  
“No.” Though he spoke quietly, his voice rang out across the silent field. “Yoda, Plo, Ki-Adi, Qui-Gon, we need to talk. Now.”  
Anakin saw Qui-Gon saw something to Obi-Wan before following the others.

Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon that he would look after the new kid. He was very impressed with Anakin’s batting. That was certainly why he had been recruited. And the truth was that the Jedi were in need of a slugger. Sure they had a lot of consistent hitters, but a slugger is what separates a good team from a great team. He walked over to where Anakin was still sitting in the dirt. Anakin did not even look up until Obi-Wan offered him a hand. Anakin looked him in the eye like he was searching for something before he accepted Obi-Wan’s help.  
“Let’s go” Obi-Wan said pulling the younger boy with him.  
“Where?” Anikin asked without resisting at all.  
They went through the locker room and around a corner. Down some stairs then up even more stairs. Finally they took a sharp corner before stepping out onto a small balcony that was definitely for maintinence only. But maintenance didn’t need it just now and Obi-Wan did.  
Obi-Wan plopped down and motioned for Anakin to join him. They sat in silence for a while just looking out across the field and feeling the breeze. This was Obi-Wan’s spot. His quiet place, happy place, think space, hideout. Not even Qui-Gon knew about it.  
“I can’t lose this job.”  
“I understa-”  
“No, you really don’t!”  
“Then tell me.”  
Obi-Wan knew it wasn’t his place to ask personal questions of someone he had only known for a few hours, but he could tell that the boy had no one. And the kid didn’t look like he wanted to talk. But Obi-Wan was patient and persistent.  
“How old are you Anakin?”  
Anakin looked at him, starttled, confused, and angry. Then, seeing Obi-Wan’s good intentions, he softened.  
“You can’t tell anyone.”  
“This is a place of secrets. Nothing leaves here.”  
That seemed to be enough for Anakin. “I’m 16 but I had to be 18 to be here. I couldn’t wait 2 more years Obi-Wan. I couldn’t. I need to make a lot of money very quickly and this was the best way to do it but I might have blown it already. My mom, she works in a sweatshop. I haven’t been to school since I was 12 and leared how to repair the sewing machines and that became my job. But I wasn’t making any money to help my mom escape. They said employing me was a benefit they were giving her and cut her wages. She sleeps on the shop floor and is charged for that and the stale bread she gets once a day. She used to get charged for me sleeping and eating like that too.”  
“And where do you eat and sleep now?” Obi-Wan asked gently.  
Anakin sighed. “I slept here last night, in the locker room.” He paused and turned his head away from the man beside him. “I sometimes can get stale bread from stores that are going to just throw them away.”  
“When did you last eat?”  
“A few days ago.”  
Obi-Wan had made up his mind.

“He’s reckless.”  
“He’s a kid.”  
“He’s 18.”  
“18 is still a kid.”  
Mace and Qui-Gon argued back and forth. Yoda had sent the others home about an hour ago, even Plo and Ki-Adi. They may have been on the team for a while, but they weren’t coaches like Mace and Yoda, or even a mentor like Qui-Gon.  
Yoda had listened to enough. “Control can be taught.” The other two men looked at him. “So Qui-Gon will teach him.”  
“Yoda you know that this boy will be nothing but trouble-” Mace started, but Yoda interrupted. “So we’ll make him trouble for the other team. Besides, Mr. Palpetine seems really attached to the kid so we have to at least try. He can’t be worse for us than the bigotted things Dooku said before he was fired. We need a new face to save our reputation.”  
“I could not agree more,” said a new voice from behind Yoda.

Qui-Gon waited for Obi-Wan to reappear and was unsurprised to find Anakin tagging along with him.  
“Do we still have that air mattress?” Obi-Wan asked.  
“Yes but she has been sleeping just fine on the couch.”  
Obi-Wan shrugged. “Then she can stay there and Anakin can have the mattress.”  
Anakin looked shocked, but Qui-Gon grinned in delight as they made their way to his jeep to drive back to his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be inconsistent and for that I apologize.


End file.
